Oil cooling means



' Oct. 11, K E LYMAN OIL COOLING MEANS Filed Dec. 22, 1930 Patented Oct. 11,1932

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KENNETH E. LYMAN, OB CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A SSIGNOB TO BORG-WABNEB CORPORA- TION, OI CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS on. ooonme mans Application flied December 22, 1980. Serial 1E0. 504,054.

This invention relates to improvements in oil cooling means, and more particularly to draft inducing means designed to create or induce a draft around fluid containing means through which a fluid is passed for the purpose of cooling the same, although the invention may have other and various uses and purposes as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

Heretofore, many oil cooling devices or oil cooling and filterin devices have been developed for dis ositlon in the lubricant, lines of various mec anisms. In many instances, the coolin devices were provided with a relatively darge radiating surface and dependent at least to some extent upon air current aiding in removing the heat from the casing. While these formerly known devices were often times quite efiicient under proper conditions the conditions were not always easily attained, and quite often, such devices were recluded from performing their func-- tions in as an efiicient a manner as is desirable by external influences. For example, whenusing oil coolers with automotive internal combustion engines, the coolers are usually disposed beneath a hood covering the engine, and if, for example, the radiator shutters are closed, or the engine is running at idle speed, or if for other reasons, the air circulation beneath the hood is poor,

obviously the cooler cannot radiate heat taken from the lubricant passing therethromgh to the desired extent. It is desirable, therefore,

, to insure a suitable circulation of air at least in the region of the oil cooler to cause the latter to perform at a desired efficiency, and, in some cases actually aid in keeping down the temperature of the engine with which it is associated.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide meansfor association with a fluid cooling device to encourage and maintain a circulation of air around the cooling device.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a device for association with fluid cooling means which causes a draft of air over substantially the entire exterior surface of the cooling device.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a device disposable adjacent the lubricant cooler of an automotive engine for directing air current created by the fan of said engine over the lubricant cooler.

' A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a device mountable around a fluidcooler, which device is constructed to operate substantially on a venturi principle and increase in velocity a draft of air as the same passes over the cooler.

While some of the more'salient features, characteristics and advantages of means embodying this invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosure.

The invention includes these and other features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described and shown in a preferred form in the drawing, as more particularly indicated by the claims.

On the drawing:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of an internal combustion engine having an oil cooling device in the lubricant line thereof, and equipped with a device in association with said cooler and embodying principles of the present invention.

' Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view in elevation of the device itself.

Figure 3 is a front view of the structure shown in Figure 2.

As shown on the drawing:

In the illustrated embodiment of the present invention, there is shown an internal combustion engine 4 fromthe crank case 5 of which a lubricant line 6 leads to the intake port of an oil cooling device 7, and from the outlet port of the cooler 7 another lubricant conduit 8 leads into the cylinder block 9 of the engine. a

The oil cooler 7 is referably mounted, as shown, adjacent the orward part of the en gine where it will be in the path of air current induced by the engine fan 10, by the speed of the vehicle carrying the engine, or

in various other manners. In the present I instance, the cooler 7 is cylindrical as well as toroidal in shape and includes a lurallty of spaced longitudinally extending s or vanes filtering unit, as the case may be, is prefer ably of the character disclosed and described in my copending application for Letters Patent entitled Oil cooler and filter, Serial No.

481,394, filed September 12, 1930, but, of.

course, it may be of any other desirable type.

If, for any reason, such as the radiator shutters being closed, the'engine running at idle speed, or an equivalent circumstance, there would be only a minimum air circulation, the cooler 7 alone might not dissipate heat taken from the oil or other lubricant in as efiicient manner as is desired. To aid the cooler in dissipating heat, in this instance, a tubular member 14 is mounted around the cooler 7, the member 14 being held in proper positlon by means of a pair of lugs 15 preferably integral with the member 14 and bent inwardly therefrom at diametrically opposite points, these lugs being suitably apertured to be received over a narrow portion of a fitting 16 which connectsthe oil conduit 6 with the intake port of the cooler 7 andv a fitting 17 which connects the oil conduit 8 with the outlet ,port of the cooler;

With the exception of the lugs 15, the member- 14 has an open rear end, and tapers gradually from the front thereof toward the rear end as indicated at 18, the rear end of the 4 member being referably of a diameter just suflic ent to ma e contact with the outer extreimties of the fins 11, as indicated at 19 (F lgure 3); Due to the taper 18, at all other pomts, the member 14 will be spaced from the cooler 7, and as seen more clearly in Figure 2, the member 14 extends forwardly beyond the cooler 7 and terminates in a belled end 20. In order that the lubricant cooling system may be more rigidly mounted as a whole, a band 21 (Figure 1) embraces the rear portion of the member 14 adjacent that region where the member 14 contacts with the fins 11 and is bolted or otherwise secured to the cylinder block 9. o

The entire apparatus is preferably disosed, as shown. in the drawing, with the lled end 20 of the member 14 in line with the draft created by the engine fan .10, although with the member 14 mounted around the cooler7, the oil will be effectively cooled re ardless where the cooler is mounted.

he operation of the present invention is extremely simple, and yet none the less effective. The belledend 20, of course, will guide a greater quantity of air past the cooler"? than would normally pass the .cooler in such an intimate manner. Any air entering the belled end of the member 14 will either follow the walls of the member 14 or pass through the opening 13 through the center of the cooler 7, and obviously, a' goodly portion of this air will ass between the fins 11 and 12. However, tfiat large part of the air current which follows the wall of the member 14 and consequently passes between the fins 11 will gradually increase in velocity towards the rear end of the member 14 due tc the taper 18 so that when this air finally passes out of the rear end of the member 14 between the fins 11, it will be traveling at a reasonably high speed. Consequently, the member 14 may be said to function substantially as a venturi, and the increased speed oi the air passing out the rear end thereof will induce a better flow of air into the front end of the device and cause 'more air to pass through the opening 13 in the central portion of the cooler.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that I have provided a device for aiding an oil cooling system to more expeditiously and efiiciently perform its function. In addition, the present invention is simple in construction, highl efiicient in use, readily mounted and talzen down, and may be economically manufactured.

I am aware that many changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention,- and I, therefore, do not purpose limiting the patent granted hereon, otherwise than is necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, an oil container having external fins thereon, and a tubular member of gradually increasing size from one end to the other disposed around said container with the small end thereof of substantially the outer fin diameter of said container and adjacent an end of said container.

- 2. In combination, a container for a fluid having external fins thereon, a tubular member disposed around said container and contacting said finsadj acent one end of said container, said member gradually increasing in size towards the other end of said container and terminating in a belled end.

3. In combination an oil cooler, a casing disposed around said cooler and spaced sufficiently from the body thereof to leave 'an air passa e therebetween, said casing terminating a jacent an end of said cooler and gradually increasing in size towards the other end thereof, said casing terminating in a belled end in advance of the other end of said cooler.

4. In combination, an oil cooler having a central passage therethrough and provided with spaced external fins, and a casing contacting the outer edges of said fins ad'acent one end of said cooler, said casing gra ually increasing in size towards the other end thereof and terminating in a belled end adj acent the other end of said cooler.

5. In combination, a fluid container, and L tubular casing disposed around and in :paced relationship to said container where- )y a draft of air may pass between said cas- .ng and said container, said casing tapering from one end thereof to the other and the .arger end being disposed in advance of the ;maller end. a

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Chicago, Cook County,

[llinois.

KENNETH E. LYMAN. 

